knifepoint to pay drug dealers the money he owed them.

They had threatened to beat him and harm his family if he did not come up with the money, he said.

Gerald Hall, 26, of St. George's, told of the threats in Supreme Court during a desperate hour-long plea for mercy. But it did not save him from going to prison.

Hall was jailed for three and a half years for the crime, which occurred after midnight last November 21 in Hamilton.

Crown counsel Mr. Brian Calhoun was concerned that the robbery took place in the middle of the city.

"We are not talking about the outskirts of the city here,'' he said. "The crime is now getting to be right in the city itself.'' Mr. Calhoun submitted it would be "a sad day indeed when women have to fear walking the streets of Bermuda alone''.

The court heard Hall stalked the woman along Church Street for about a minute after seeing she was unescorted.

Wearing a hood over his head, he jumped on her and pushed her into a doorway, Mr. Calhoun said. When she began screaming, he pulled out a fishing knife and threatened her.

Hall managed to get away with the 29-year-old woman's purse and $80 in cash, he said.

But a plain-clothes Policeman saw the robbery and chased Hall until he caught him.

Mr. Calhoun said Hall admitted the robbery to Police, telling officers he threw the knife away so he would not be charged with armed robbery.

Mr. Calhoun added the victim was "emotionally shaken'' by the incident and suffered cuts and abrasions, requiring stitches for a finger wound.

The court heard that Hall, who admitted the offence, had a three-page criminal record, which included convictions for assault, theft and drugs. He was released from prison in October, 1991. The robbery occurred while he was on probation.

Mr. Calhoun said robberies had increased significantly in Bermuda over the last few years.

Hall's lawyer, Miss Sonia Grant, said her client was asking for another chance.

She said he never meant to harm the woman with the knife. He was a recovering cocaine addict and although he had not been high at the time, he had been drinking liquor.

Miss Grant asked the judge to consider a suspended jail term because Hall had made an effort to turn his life around and "exceptional circumstances'' had led him to commit the crime.

When asked if he had anything to say before being sentenced, Hall tearfullt told how he learned his father was dying days before the robbery. And he told how he robbed the woman in desperation to come up with a large amount of money he needed to pay back two drug dealers.

Hall said he was "truly ashamed'' of himself.

"I'm not no bad person society needs to be protected from,'' he said. "I have no desire to be caught up in the revolving door system of being in and out of prison that seems to affect mainly young black males.'' Hall was about to go into a second hour of pleading when Puisne Judge the Hon.

Mr. Justice Ward told him he was beginning to repeat himself and he finished minutes later.

After a brief pause, Mr. Ward told Hall he had taken into account his "long and interesting story''. However, the nature of the crime "demanded'' a custodial sentence. He said he did not feel justice would be done if he suspended it.

Mr. Ward ordered Hall to continue receiving counselling in prison for his drug problem.